UMW Seeking Nominations for James Farmer Lecture

The University of Mary Washington is seeking nominations for a speaker to present the annual James Farmer Lecture.

Civil Rights leader James Farmer taught at UMW for more than a decade. A bust of Farmer is on Campus Walk, in front of Trinkle Hall.

The program that has honored the legacy of former UMW professor James Farmer for the past decade is presented by a leader in the areas of civil rights and social justice. The lecturer chosen will be a person whose work exemplifies Farmer’s qualities and traits through his or her contributions to civil rights and social justice as an activist, scholar, public official or professional.

Xavier Richardson, executive vice president of corporate development and community affairs for Mary Washington Healthcare, gave the inaugural lecture in 2013. He’s known in the region for his volunteer efforts with many community organizations and mentoring services for youth.

Any member of the UMW community can submit a nomination, as well as students and members of the Fredericksburg community. To nominate an individual to give the James Farmer Lecture, visit http://jamesfarmer.umw.edu/, select Lecture Nomination and complete the form. Nominations will be accepted through March 31. The James Farmer Lecture and Post-Doctoral Committee will review all nominations and select the lecturer.

James Farmer was a pioneer of the civil rights movement, as the founder of the Congress of Racial Equality and the organizer of the 1961 Freedom Rides. He taught civil rights history at Mary Washington for more than a decade and received the Medal of Freedom in 1998, shortly before his death in 1999.